Pope Leo XIV has criticized foreigners who exploit the wealth of Africa for profit during his visit to a conflict-hit region of Cameroon. It is one of several forthright remarks he has made over the last day, including blasting those who spend billions on wars and telling Cameroon's government to root out corruption for peace to prevail.
He has spent the day in Bamenda, a city at the centre of Cameroon's brutal and long-running separatist rebellion. Internal problems were exacerbated by outsiders who in the name of profit, continue to lay their hands on the African continent to exploit and plunder it, he told an estimated 20,000 worshippers at a Mass at Bamenda Airport.
Earlier, joyful crowds sang, drummed and waved flags to welcome the leader of the Catholic Church, who arrived under military escort in a bullet-proof white vehicle. Ahead of his visit, Anglophone separatists had announced a period of safe travel passage.
The Pope's first stop was at a peace meeting in Bamenda held at Saint Joseph's Cathedral about the nearly 10-year insurgency in Cameroon's two English-speaking regions that has left at least 6,000 people dead and many more forced from their homes. The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, he told the gathering. Those who rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilisation and death.
Since 2017, those seeking to create a breakaway state in Cameroon's Anglophone region have been fighting government forces, angered by what they see as the marginalisation of Cameroon's English-speaking minority by the Francophone-dominated government.
The Pope commended religious leaders and victims of the Anglophone conflict who shared their experiences, stating, Let us thank God that this crisis has not degenerated into a religious war. He called for change, emphasizing unity and the need to prioritize the concerns of marginalized populations, particularly women and youth, in rebuilding Cameroon.
The visit, intended to bolster hopes for peace, highlighted ongoing challenges, as well as the critical roles individuals and communities play in striving for stability amidst conflict. With Angola and Equatorial Guinea next on his itinerary, the Pope continues to carry his message of peace across the continent.
He has spent the day in Bamenda, a city at the centre of Cameroon's brutal and long-running separatist rebellion. Internal problems were exacerbated by outsiders who in the name of profit, continue to lay their hands on the African continent to exploit and plunder it, he told an estimated 20,000 worshippers at a Mass at Bamenda Airport.
Earlier, joyful crowds sang, drummed and waved flags to welcome the leader of the Catholic Church, who arrived under military escort in a bullet-proof white vehicle. Ahead of his visit, Anglophone separatists had announced a period of safe travel passage.
The Pope's first stop was at a peace meeting in Bamenda held at Saint Joseph's Cathedral about the nearly 10-year insurgency in Cameroon's two English-speaking regions that has left at least 6,000 people dead and many more forced from their homes. The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, he told the gathering. Those who rob your land of its resources generally invest much of the profit in weapons, thus perpetuating an endless cycle of destabilisation and death.
Since 2017, those seeking to create a breakaway state in Cameroon's Anglophone region have been fighting government forces, angered by what they see as the marginalisation of Cameroon's English-speaking minority by the Francophone-dominated government.
The Pope commended religious leaders and victims of the Anglophone conflict who shared their experiences, stating, Let us thank God that this crisis has not degenerated into a religious war. He called for change, emphasizing unity and the need to prioritize the concerns of marginalized populations, particularly women and youth, in rebuilding Cameroon.
The visit, intended to bolster hopes for peace, highlighted ongoing challenges, as well as the critical roles individuals and communities play in striving for stability amidst conflict. With Angola and Equatorial Guinea next on his itinerary, the Pope continues to carry his message of peace across the continent.
